GreenSource DFWhttps://www.greensourcedfw.org
enDFW firm aims to boost workforce ‘wellness’ https://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/dfw-firm-aims-boost-workforce-wellness
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/TSWellness_wholefoods_top.jpg?itok=_F8X46YU"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/TSWellness_wholefoods_top.jpg?itok=_F8X46YU" width="1000" height="750" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><em>TS Wellness is a nutrition consultancy company founded by two local entrepreneurs last year.</em></p>
<p>Jan. 21, 2019</p>
<p>A local start-up is on a mission to combat climate change, boost corporate earnings, curtail disease, scale back the obesity rate and elevate the quality of life for everyone, and it all comes down to what’s on our dinner plate.</p>
<p>Launched in Dallas-Fort Worth in 2018, <a href="https://www.tswellness.org" target="_blank">TS Wellness</a> is a nutrition consultancy firm founded by 25-year corporate management veteran <a href="http://www.tswellness.org/about-us" target="_blank">David Sholkoff </a>and<a href="http://www.tswellness.org/about-us" target="_blank"> </a>biologist<a href="http://www.tswellness.org/about-us" target="_blank"> Patricia Thomson</a>, Ph.D., with the goal of improving people’s lives through better nutrition. </p>
<p>This mission, they say, is part and parcel with bringing about tangible corporate returns and long-range environmental benefits. </p>
<p>To offer a taste of their curriculum, the founders are hosting a plant-based cooking demonstration, <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/instant-pot-101-healthy-plant-based-cooking-tickets-54922080421?fbclid=IwAR1D40jUmIyDdnNNeMyCOFRL2J-DFfIiyZN69stuGC7ZSPQvb9gRA0XBnXg" target="_blank">Instant Pot 101, </a>at the Richardson Civic Center on Feb. 23. The cost is $40.</p>
<p><img alt="Patricia Thompson" data-delta="2" data-fid="8088" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/TSWellness_PatriciaThomson_300.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" typeof="foaf:Image" /><em>TS Wellness cofounder Patricia R. Thomson, Ph.D., is a certified nutritionist, experienced speaker, coach and consultant.</em></p>
<p>Previously, Thomson worked in both the private and public sectors in organizations focused on human health and environmental protection. Sholkoff is a multi-degreed human resources professional who’s spent more than two decades in the Fortune 100 ecosphere. Their foray into the wellness industry came after they saw how nutrition research simply wasn’t reaching the average person in a meaningful way, says Sholkoff. Despite what we know about food and how it can either heal or harm us, we’re generally still not making the connection when it comes to what we put in our grocery carts.</p>
<p>“There's been an increase in disease across this country, a decrease in productivity across organizations. And there's a need for people to begin to look at food as a way to help them increase their health and use it as a source of medicine - food as medicine,” Sholkoff says.</p>
<blockquote><p>Their foray into the wellness industry came after they saw how nutrition research simply wasn’t reaching the average person in a meaningful way, says Sholkoff. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>From speaking engagements and developing company wellness programs to cooking demonstrations and even in-house refrigerator makeovers, the two certified nutritionists work to transition clients from foods that cause pain to foods that heal.</p>
<p>Illustrating his point, Sholkoff says almost everyone knows that putting on too many pounds is bad for the body, but in 2000, only one in five Dallas-area residents was clinically obese. By 2017, one in every three was too heavy, and projections indicate that by 2030, every other person will be. With obesity comes an elevated risk of disease and early death. </p>
<p><img alt="David Sholkoff" data-delta="1" data-fid="8089" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/TSWellness_DavidSholkoff_300.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p>
<p><em>TS Wellness cofounder David Sholkoff is a multi-degreed human resources professional.</em></p>
<p>Thomson says the reason for this is the Western diet, one of the unhealthiest and fat-laden diets in the world. And we have one of the highest incidences of food-related diseases and deaths. </p>
<p>She points out that the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> shows that 45 percent of deaths by heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes in 2012 were attributable to poor dietary habits, and that heart disease and stroke are the number one and number three killers in the state of Texas. In the U.S. overall, $320 billion is lost every year just from healthcare costs and lost productivity from cardiovascular disease. In the next 15 years, more than 130 million adults - that’s just under half of the population - will have some form of cardiovascular disease with costs in the trillions of dollars. And it all comes down to what we’re eating.</p>
<p>There’s a direct cost, both monetary and in the quality of life, for eating the wrong foods, says Thomson, so they hope to show to North Texas companies that they’re losing profits from a workforce that simply isn’t operating up to capacity.</p>
<p>“I come at it from working in the corporate world as a management consultant and working with organizations and seeing high absenteeism rates, people sick in the office place and the millions if not tens of millions of dollars that it's costing companies because they have sick employees,” Sholkoff says. “There's been the common connection now between health and wellness and the reduction of health care insurance premiums for companies. We know that every obese person that is working in an organization is costing an extra $1,800 to $2,300 for a year. For those who have cardiovascular disease, those that have type two diabetes, you can add another $1,500 to $2,000 per employee per year in costs.”</p>
<blockquote><p>“We know that every obese person that is working in an organization is costing an extra $1,800 to $2,300 for a year. For those who have cardiovascular disease, those that have type two diabetes, you can add another $1,500 to $2,000 per employee per year in costs.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Their mission is not just about workforce efficiency though. Thomson says her personal motivation for spreading the word about the link between nutrition and being well comes from watching her father suffer from heart disease and die after quadruple bypass surgery. Diagnosed 10 years ago with the same high blood pressure and out-of-control cholesterol numbers herself, she was immediately placed on medications and told there was nothing else she could do. That’s when the scientist in her went to work, researching her condition and finding out there was indeed more she could do.</p>
<p>“And so I started reading about nutrition and discovered a whole new way of looking at at food and that the way that I was looking at it was completely wrong. And that really, we should be eating the least-processed foods as possible. And also that eating healthy can be really delicious, and fun, and easy,” Thomson says. “And so I embraced that way of eating and grew so passionately about it, because of the changes in my health that I wanted to share it with others and then went through a series of certifications to enable me to teach classes on nutrition and teach others how to prepare and cook foods.”</p>
<p>It was later in Thompson’s new career as a nutritionist that she and Sholkoff became associated. Sholkoff’s wife attended one of Thomson’s cooking classes, and they began to envision how the message of better-health-from-better-eating could be taken to a broader audience, so they formed TS Wellness.</p>
<p>Whether developing a corporate wellness curriculum, teaching cooking classes and even accompanying clients on grocery shopping trips, Thomson and Sholkoff work to bring the good news about the healing powers of a minimally-processed, whole foods diet within reach of everyone.</p>
<p>“We believe in transitions, in gradually adding things into people's meals and not taking away so that over time they will actually prefer eating healthy and feeling better when they do eat a healthy meal. And they'll realize the difference in their health as they go down this journey,” Thomson says. </p>
<blockquote><p>“We believe in transitions, in gradually adding things into people's meals and not taking away so that over time they will actually prefer eating healthy and feeling better when they do eat a healthy meal."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Their recommendations boil down to choosing plant-based foods and ingredients. Sholkoff says that’s because plant-based foods are both nutrient dense and non-inflammatory. “Your body is not fighting to digest the vitamins and minerals and nutrients that it needs; it's actually absorbing them seamlessly.”</p>
<p>As opposed to a diet of heavy meat consumption, plant-based foods provide anti-aging compounds and cancer fighting nutrients that go a long way for keeping us free from disease, Thompson says.</p>
<p>“And then the key piece also is fiber, Thomson adds. “Fiber is only found in plant products, and fiber is extremely important in keeping our bodies regular. Fiber acts as both a sponge and a plunger. It soaks up all our extra medications, waste, all the extra hormones and anything we take into our body. And then it acts like a plunger by pushing all that naturally out of our body and disposing of it so that it doesn't go back into recirculation. If you don’t eat fiber, those substances go back into your body, and therefore your body has more exposure to them. I think fiber is one of the most important components of a plant-based diet.”</p>
<blockquote><p>“Fiber is only found in plant products, and fiber is extremely important in keeping our bodies regular. Fiber acts as both a sponge and a plunger."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Sholkoff and Thomson say their focus is solely on their clients’ health and wellness, yet they’re happy to tout the environmental benefits of their recommendations as well. By shifting our diets toward unprocessed, plant-based foods, we’re reducing our dependence on an industry that's a major source of greenhouse gases and water pollution, they point out.</p>
<p>“To produce one calorie of animal protein, it takes 11 times more fossil fuel than producing one calorie of plant protein,” Thomson says. “A diet of meat creates seven times more greenhouse gases than a diet of plants, and the largest producers of methane are chickens, turkeys, pigs and cows in the U.S. Methane is 20 percent more powerful in trapping heat [around the earth] than carbon dioxide.”</p>
<p>“Animals raised for food create 89,000 pounds of excrement per second [in the country] and this waste is not treated and is a major source of runoff. This has resulted in the pollution of over 35,000 miles of rivers in 22 states,” she adds.</p>
<blockquote><p>“To produce one calorie of animal protein, it takes 11 times more fossil fuel than producing one calorie of plant protein.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And keeping the natural world pristine has its own benefits to health and wellness, they say. Humans need the respite of calm, quiet places, and their message goes beyond just checking Fitbit numbers when evaluating their client’s progress in staying well, Sholkoff says.</p>
<p>“We also believe that the mental aspects of health and wellness are as important as the physical aspects,” Sholkoff says. “It’s not just what you put in your body but how you calm yourself and deal with everyday stress. Being outside and enjoying nature is part of our simple approach. And I guess our message is really all about being simple.”</p>
<h3><img alt="TS Wellness founders Patricia Thomson and David Sholkoff" data-delta="1" data-fid="8091" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/TSWellness_DavidPatricia_300.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image" />Instant Pot 101 - Healthy &amp; Plant-Based Cooking</h3>
<p><strong>About:</strong> The Lazy Guy and Gal, David Sholkoff and Patricia Thompson's alter egos, are hosting a cooking demostration next month. Learn how to make easy, healthy recipes all in your Instant Pot.</p>
<p><strong>When:</strong> Feb. 23, 10 a.m. to noon</p>
<p><strong>Where:</strong> Richardson Civic Center, 411 West Arapaho Road, Huffhines Room, Richardson</p>
<p><strong>Cost:</strong> $40</p>
<p><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/instant-pot-101-healthy-plant-based-cooking-tickets-54922080421?fbclid=IwAR1D40jUmIyDdnNNeMyCOFRL2J-DFfIiyZN69stuGC7ZSPQvb9gRA0XBnXg" target="_blank">Website</a></p>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/food" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Food</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-main-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel=""><a href="/main-categories/top-stories" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Top Stories</a></div></div></div><span property="dc:title" content="DFW firm aims to boost workforce ‘wellness’ " class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Mon, 21 Jan 2019 17:54:54 +0000Marshall Hinsley10750 at https://www.greensourcedfw.orghttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/dfw-firm-aims-boost-workforce-wellness#commentsTexas coal plants leaching toxins into groundwater, report sayshttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/texas-coal-plants-leaching-toxins-groundwater
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/TXTRIB_Fayette_Power__Top.jpg?itok=scuMPFam"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/TXTRIB_Fayette_Power__Top.jpg?itok=scuMPFam" width="1000" height="750" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><em>The Fayette Power Project Plant, a coal-fired power plant near La Grange, in Fayette County, is one of 16 Texas coal plants targeted in a new report that claims plant waste pits are leaching pollution into groundwater. Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune</em></p>
<p><a href="http://texastribune.org" target="_blank">The Texas Tribune</a></p>
<p>Jan. 18, 2019</p>
<p>As the Trump administration considers weakening Obama-era safeguards for the disposal of toxic coal waste, a new report shows that groundwater near all of Texas’ 16 monitored coal-fired power plants is contaminated with pollutants — including known carcinogens — linked to so-called coal ash.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.environmentalintegrity.org/reports/groundwater-contamination-from-texas-coal-ash-dumps/ }" target="_blank">report</a> by the Washington D.C.-based <a href="http://www.environmentalintegrity.org" target="_blank">Environmental Integrity Project</a>, released Thursday, analyzed on-site groundwater monitoring data that power companies are now required to report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under an Obama-era regulation known as the “Coal Ash Rule.”</p>
<p>The report found that the groundwater around coal-fired plants across the state contain levels of pollutants like arsenic, boron, cobalt or lithium that would make it unsafe for human consumption. It also found that almost none of the impoundments where plants dispose of spent coal are lined properly to prevent leakage — one of the requirements of the 2015 Coal Ash Rule.</p>
<p>“We found contamination everywhere we looked, poisoning groundwater aquifers and recreational fishing spots across the state,” said EIP attorney Abel Russ, an author of the report. “This confirms that dumping large volumes of toxic waste in poorly-lined pits is a terrible idea.”</p>
<blockquote><p>The report found that the groundwater around coal-fired plants across the state contain levels of pollutants like arsenic, boron, cobalt or lithium that would make it unsafe for human consumption. It also found that almost none of the impoundments where plants dispose of spent coal are lined properly to prevent leakage — one of the requirements of the 2015 Coal Ash Rule.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>EIP is a nonprofit research and advocacy group founded by a former head of civil enforcement at the EPA and employs former EPA staffers.</p>
<p>Its report calls on the EPA or the Texas Commission Environmental Quality to impose even stricter regulations for coal waste disposal.</p>
<p>Coal ash is produced when plants burn coal to produce electricity. One of the largest sources of industrial waste in the United States, it contains contaminants like mercury, cadmium and arsenic, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/coalash/coal-ash-basics" target="_blank">according</a> to the EPA.</p>
<p>“Without proper management, these contaminants can pollute waterways, ground water, drinking water, and the air,” according to its website, which also touts economic benefits of reuse.</p>
<blockquote><p>Coal ash is produced when plants burn coal to produce electricity. One of the largest sources of industrial waste in the United States, it contains contaminants like mercury, cadmium and arsenic, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/coalash/coal-ash-basics" target="_blank">according</a> to the EPA.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In some cases, EIP's report notes, contaminant levels at Texas coal plants far exceed federal health benchmarks.</p>
<p>For example, at a plant south of San Antonio owned by the San Miguel Electric Co-Op, a plant northwest of Houston owned and operated by the Texas Municipal Power Agency, known as Gibbons Creek, and Southwestern Electric Power Company’s J. Robert Welsh Power Plant east of Dallas, the level of cobalt found in the groundwater reached more than 600 micrograms per liter — more than 100 times higher than safe levels, according to the report. And multiple wells at the San Miguel plant have boron concentrations of more than 30 milligrams per liter, exceeding EPA’s health advisory by tenfold.</p>
<p>The report noted that all three coal ash units of the Gibbons Creek plant are on, or close to, the Gibbons Creek Reservoir, which provides cooling water for the plant but also is a recreational fishing area. On Thursday, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas approved TMPA's request to mothball the Gibbons Creek plant; it's one of <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2017/10/13/what-does-trumps-repeal-environmental-regulations-mean-texas/" target="_blank">several</a> coal plants to come offline in the state recently.</p>
<blockquote><p>In some cases, EIP's report notes, contaminant levels at Texas coal plants far exceed federal health benchmarks.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Tammy Ridout, a spokeswoman for American Electric Power, the parent company of Southwestern Electric Power Company, said in an email that "The Environmental Integrity Project report alleges impacts on groundwater based on initial data that is incomplete."</p>
<p>"One or more samples showing a higher concentration of a substance, even above a standard, does not mean that local drinking water is unsafe or that there is any impact from the ash storage site," she wrote. "AEP is conducting the additional groundwater monitoring and analysis that is required by the CCR rule to determine if there is an impact on groundwater at the site."</p>
<p>None of the other companies immediately responded to request for comment.</p>
<p>The report found that the groundwater under another plant co-owned by the Lower Colorado River Authority and Austin Energy — the well-known Fayette Power Project Plant, which sits off Highway 71 between Austin and Houston — contains “unsafe levels of arsenic, cobalt, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, selenium and sulfate.”</p>
<p>The report acknowledges that some of the contaminants may be naturally occurring and that it’s “unclear whether and to what extent these pollutants are coming from coal ash.” But it says that the company-reported monitoring data, which compares water samples gathered from wells upstream of the plants — water that shouldn’t be contaminated, but, the report notes, possibly could be — to water from wells downstream of the site indicate that sulfate levels are significantly higher downstream of the Fayette landfill “and is therefore probably not naturally occurring.”</p>
<p>Bill Lauderback, LCRA executive vice president for Public Affairs, said in a statement that the report is incorrect.</p>
<p>“The Fayette Power Project complies with all applicable state and federal environmental requirements, including regular monitoring and testing of groundwater,” he said. “Repeated testing has not indicated that groundwater at FPP poses a public health risk, and EPA rules do not require LCRA to take further action at this time.”</p>
<p>Despite data that indicates widespread groundwater contamination, Russ, the EIP attorney, said it’s too soon to know which plants have started shuttering their coal ash pits or cleaning them up because the process laid out in the federal coal ash rule is not complete. That process requires companies to conduct additional testing if elevated levels of a pollutant are found before the EPA would take enforcement action.</p>
<p>"There's a compliance schedule rolling out," he said. At this point, it's generally known which plants are conducting further testing, he said, but "we don’t yet know which ones have found 'statistically significant levels' above groundwater protection standards.</p>
<p>"That’s just one of the many flaws in the federal rule," he said, adding that EIP assumes that "most of these disposal units will eventually trigger corrective action."</p>
<p>EPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment; a banner at the top of the agency's website on Thursday noted that online information was not being updated because of the ongoing government shutdown.</p>
<p>U.S. coal plants produced 130 million tons of coal ash in 2014, according to the EPA, and continue to produce around 100 million tons per year, according to the report. In Texas, about 13 million tons a year is produced — enough to create a mile-high pile on a football field.</p>
<p>Despite its risks and potential health impacts, the only real effort to regulate coal ash came with the 2015 Obama rule.</p>
<p>The report notes that a 2008 coal ash spill in Tennessee that destroyed more than two dozen homes and killed or sickened “scores of cleanup workers,” brought attention to the issue. EIP and other environmental groups sued the EPA after that disaster in hopes of spurring regulatory action.</p>
<p>Propping up the beleaguered coal industry was one of President Trump’s most reiterated campaign promises, and the Trump administration is now looking at unwinding the coal ash rule after industry groups petitioned the EPA last May. After EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned in July, the president appointed former coal industry lobbyist Andrew Wheeler to head the agency. His confirmation hearing was held this week.</p>
<p>The report noted that the TCEQ had devised its own plan to comply with federal regulations, but said "it would not adequately protect human health."</p>
<p>TCEQ spokeswoman Andrea Morrow declined to comment on the report specifically, noting that EIP did not alert the agency to the report before its release. She said in a written statement that "if a release occurs, then the remedial actions are conducted in accordance with" state law, specifically what's known as the <a href="https://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/trrp/trrp.html" target="_blank">Texas Risk Reduction Program</a>.</p>
<p>"A rule to create a program for the management of coal ash in Texas is in development," she said. "The TCEQ continues the process of revising the draft rule due to changes to the federal coal ash rule."</p>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/energy" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Energy</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-main-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel=""><a href="/main-categories/top-stories" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Top Stories</a></div></div></div><span property="dc:title" content="Texas coal plants leaching toxins into groundwater, report says" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Fri, 18 Jan 2019 21:47:21 +0000Kiah Collier10749 at https://www.greensourcedfw.orghttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/texas-coal-plants-leaching-toxins-groundwater#commentsGreen Source DFW offers advertising opportunitieshttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/green-source-dfw-offers-advertising-opportunities
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<p>Jan. 16, 2019</p>
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<p>For more information, contact Julie Thibodeaux, <a href="mailto:Julie@GreenSourceDFW.org">Julie@GreenSourceDFW.org</a> or 817-732-0722. </p>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-main-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel=""><a href="/main-categories/top-stories" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Top Stories</a></div></div></div><span property="dc:title" content="Green Source DFW offers advertising opportunities" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 16 Jan 2019 20:48:48 +0000Julie Thibodeaux10731 at https://www.greensourcedfw.orghttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/green-source-dfw-offers-advertising-opportunities#commentsEarthX announces new Chief Executive Officerhttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/earthx-announces-new-chief-executive-officer
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Tony%20KeaneEarthXCEO_600.jpg?itok=eIYDtDOt"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Tony%20KeaneEarthXCEO_600.jpg?itok=eIYDtDOt" width="1000" height="750" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><em>EarthX introduced Tony Keane as the new leader of the Dallas-based nonprofit. Photo courtesy of EarthX.</em></p>
<p>Jan. 16, 2019</p>
<p><a href="https://www.earthx.org" target="_blank">EarthX</a> has a new leader that it hopes will drive the expansion of the nonprofit as it looks ahead to its 10th year in 2020.</p>
<p>After conducting a nation-wide search, EarthX announced this week the appointment of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-keane-5886473/" target="_blank">Tony Keane</a> as its chief executive officer.</p>
<p>Founded in 2011, the Dallas-based environmental organization already hosts what it bills as the world’s largest eco-expo at Fair Park, along with related conferences and an environmental film festival around Earth Day. Last year, the event drew more than 138,000 attendees, 2,000 environmental leaders, 700 exhibitors and 400 speakers. </p>
<p><img alt="EarthX 2019" data-delta="1" data-fid="8084" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/EarthX2019signlt_600.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" typeof="foaf:Image" />According to EarthX, Keane’s background in international leadership in the built environment and sustainable facility management is a good fit for the nonprofit’s vision of the future.</p>
<p>A certified association executive with significant experience in the nonprofit sector, Keane served for more than eight years as the president and chief executive officer of the <a href="http://www.ifma.org" target="_blank">International Facility Management Association</a>, leading the organization through a period of tremendous growth. During his tenure, Keane increased the organization’s membership by 40 percent and tripled international membership to 30 percent of the total. Keane led a global staff of 70 and managed a $16 million budget that covered conferences and exhibits, credentialing, membership, government affairs and content curation. Most notably, he transformed the organization’s emphasis from conventional facility management to managing state-of-the-art smart, green buildings using the latest standards of energy efficiency and sustainability. IFMA launched the first credential on sustainable facility management under Keane’s leadership.</p>
<p>“EarthX made a strategic choice to hire a CEO with a business background, rather than an activist or individual with deep knowledge in a single environmental field, given our organization’s strong participation from business and industry interests, unique among environmental events,” said Trammell S. Crow, founder and chairman of EarthX. “We’re pleased to bring Tony Keane on board to drive our expansion toward Earthx2020, the 10th year of EarthX and Earth Day’s 50th anniversary. Our planet is at a critical point where change is not just something we can dream or talk about – it is our reality, and citizens across the globe need to make adjustments.”</p>
<p>Buildings are currently responsible for 70 percent of electricity usage and 30 percent of emissions nationwide. With EarthX headquarters located in Dallas, a major international center of the real estate industry, Keane’s expertise in developing responsible facilities managers will be especially valuable.</p>
<p>“I am honored to be selected as CEO of EarthX at this critical juncture," said Keane. "I look forward to making EarthX the must-attend event for the environmental sector by developing year-round engagement and impact."</p>
<hr /><p><i>Stay up to date on everything green in North Texas, including the latest news and events! Sign up for the weekly </i><a href="http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001oXV2QgKAMdrwsgCDhvGA2ZN-wf--n7TrrbAiV8giMZJvGB7Y9EOJHYrkeb0loIJ64qmRiSCoI8LWbFEx1a7LZX8YYN2nr-ANLkV9cxw0laI%3D"><b><i>Green Source DFW Newsletter</i></b></a><i>! Follow us on </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreensourceDFW"><b><i>Facebook</i></b></a><i> and </i><a href="https://twitter.com/greensourcedfw"><b><i>Twitter</i></b></a><i>.</i></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-main-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel=""><a href="/main-categories/top-stories" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Top Stories</a></div></div></div><span property="dc:title" content="EarthX announces new Chief Executive Officer" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 16 Jan 2019 20:20:48 +0000Julie Thibodeaux10730 at https://www.greensourcedfw.orghttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/earthx-announces-new-chief-executive-officer#commentsSouth Dallas Superfund site awaits EPA actionhttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/south-dallas-superfund-site-awaits-epa-action
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/LanePlating2_600.jpg?itok=pMXFUGsY"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/LanePlating2_600.jpg?itok=pMXFUGsY" width="1000" height="750" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><em>The former Lane Plating Works at 5322 Bonnie View Road in Dallas was declared a Superfund site in May. Photo courtesy of Googlemaps.</em></p>
<p>Jan. 15, 2019</p>
<p>Olinka Green’s broad, smiling face darkens to a frown, when the subject of the old Lane Plating plant in her southern Dallas neighborhood comes up. </p>
<p>The 40-year resident of Highland Hills was researching environmental hazards, when she found serious ones way too close to home. Ills that look likely to linger, with federal cleanup years off. A community meeting in November left residents unsatisfied with scant information and propelled them to further action. </p>
<p>“I was calling <a href="https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-6-south-central" target="_blank">EPA Region 6</a> in Dallas back last March, trying to inform myself,” Green said in a recent interview. </p>
<p><img alt="Olinka Green" data-delta="1" data-fid="8081" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/OlinkaGreen_cropV_600.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" typeof="foaf:Image" /><em>Highland Hills resident and activist Olinka Green shares information on the Lane Plating site at the Highland Hills Branch Library in November. Photo courtesy of Pamela Young.</em></p>
<p>A long-time social activist, she’d been asked to give a community workshop on environmental action. She reached out to two staffers at the local Environmental Protection Agency office. </p>
<p>“Look up <a href="https://www.epa.gov/superfund" target="_blank">Superfund</a> sites,” they suggested, steering her toward the agency’s list of the most toxic industrial and waste sites in the nation, ones that EPA has determined will require years of cleanup and monitoring to be safe for human proximity, and then designated for cleanup. </p>
<p>On the list, Green discovered a site only blocks from her home. The agency had been investigating it for Superfund designation since 2015, according to their public timeline. </p>
<p>Lane Plating Works had operated in Highland Hills since the 1950s, applying metal coatings to car bumpers and the like, just off Loop 12 and Interstate 45 on Bonnie View Road. It was shuttered in late 2015, when the owners declared bankruptcy. </p>
<p>“Shuttered” also describes much public information on Lane Plating’s environmental record and responses by state and federal agencies, it turns out.</p>
<p>Green and friend Alexandra Telecky visited the site, and found it chained off. </p>
<p>“We got involved,” Green said. </p>
<p>They started researching. </p>
<p>Lane, like other electroplating companies, used toxic metals including arsenic, cadmium, cyanide, chromium, lead and mercury — substances that cause cancer and damage the brain, kidneys and liver, as well as digestive, reproductive and nervous systems. </p>
<p>A wetland lies close by the old plant, between it and the newly named <a href="https://www.dallasisd.org/obama" target="_blank">Barack Obama Leadership School for Boys.</a> Two creeks drain the site, flowing to the Lemmon Lake fish hatchery and the Trinity River. </p>
<p>Hoping to pin down the health effects of the plant’s leaked chemicals, Green sought the help of <a href="https://internet.lanwt.org/en-us" target="_blank">Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas</a> to file public information requests for EPA records. </p>
<p>Aaron Renaud, a paralegal with LANWT, uncovered a history dating back before 1985: company hazardous waste reports; Dallas Water Utilities inspection of the site; inspections by the state environmental agency <a href="https://www.tceq.texas.gov" target="_blank">Texas Commission on Environmental Quality</a>, EPA and the <a href="https://www.osha.gov" target="_blank">Occupational Safety and Health Administration</a>.</p>
<p>Between late 2015 and late 2016, both TCEQ and EPA had documented violations and taken short-term measures to secure and remove toxic waste - as an April 7, 2017 memo from the director of the city’s <a href="https://dallascityhall.com/departments/OEQ/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Office of Environmental Quality</a> informed the mayor and city council. An EPA 2016 report states almost 200,000 pounds of chemical waste had been removed.</p>
<p>The community apparently got no word of the situation all those years, according to Green and Renaud, not until shortly after OEQ’s April 2017 memo. Then-councilmember Erik Wilson had urged EPA administrators to hold a public meeting that February or March, before possible Superfund classification. On April 17, 2017, the Office of Environmental Quality did coordinate a community meeting on Lane Plating’s legacy at a neighborhood church. </p>
<p>“I saw very limited EPA notification of residents,” said Renaud. </p>
<p>Almost a year later, this past February, there was another meeting to give an update of the investigation. Notices of it apparently reached very few residents.</p>
<p>On May 15, 2018, EPA placed Lane Plating Works on the <a href="https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0605240" target="_blank">National Priorities List as a Superfund site</a> - a first step to permanent cleanup.</p>
<p><img alt="Lane Plating Flyer" data-delta="2" data-fid="8082" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/LanePlating_Flyer_300.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" typeof="foaf:Image" />Fast-forward six months. In November, EPA had scheduled a community meeting with responsible agencies. Announcements went only to the local library “and to the people who lived across the street from the plant,” said Green. Nevertheless, some 100 residents appeared at <a href="https://dallaslibrary2.org/branch/highland.php" target="_blank">Highland Hills Branch Library</a>. Publicity by Green, 300 new followers of her Facebook announcements, newly-minted activist Temeckia Derrough of nearby Joppa, and four grassroots groups had drawn a crowd. </p>
<p>The councilmember for Highland Hills’ <a href="https://dallascityhall.com/government/citycouncil/district8/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">District 8, Tennell Atkins</a>, gave a short introduction and left. Representatives of EPA, TCEQ, Texas Health and Human Services, Dallas Water Utilities, OEQ and the NAACP attended.</p>
<p>“EPA wasn’t prepared,” said Green. “They looked surprised at the crowd. They told us what they had done, and what they would do…they didn’t provide us much information for questions asked. You had angry citizens, just now finding out.” </p>
<p>Repeated questions on health impacts of the site’s toxins, residents’ most urgent concern, were declined by EPA. The agency tests for contaminant levels but not health effects. Therefore, representatives deferred to HHS, but HHS had no response. One insistent questioner was spoken to on the sidelines by an HHS representative and given a community health survey, reported Renaud, who read it. </p>
<p>“It had a single question, but no direct questions about effects related to toxic exposure.” </p>
<p>Residents’ frustration fueled the determination of Green, Derrough and a growing number of supporters to push for full public disclosure, cleanup funding and thorough water and wildlife testing for toxins. </p>
<p>It will be a wait.</p>
<p>EPA’s sampling plan is expected to be done sometime this year. Then testing and damage evaluation begins. Even so, only 4 percent of the National Priority List sites evaluated are selected for remediation, states EPA’s website. </p>
<p>If Lane Plating is selected, it may be two to four years before any cleanup. That depends on funds. The excise taxes that originally supported the Superfund Trust Fund elapsed in 1995. </p>
<p>“A couple of times in the past Congress set aside funds,” Renaud noted. “This EPA says cleanup of toxic sites is a top priority…but the EPA budget has been cut under the Trump administration.”</p>
<p>Green organized the Highland Hills Community Action League, which met this week at Holy Cross Catholic Church on Ledbetter Road. </p>
<p>Green and Derrough hope to attend a lobbying workshop in Washington, D.C. and lobby for Superfund moneys. That is, if the current federal government shutdown doesn’t cancel the event.</p>
<p>“Superfund action really depends on support,” said Reynaud. “Support from the public and from elected representatives.”</p>
<hr /><p><i>Stay up to date on everything green in North Texas, including the latest news and events! Sign up for the weekly </i><a href="http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001oXV2QgKAMdrwsgCDhvGA2ZN-wf--n7TrrbAiV8giMZJvGB7Y9EOJHYrkeb0loIJ64qmRiSCoI8LWbFEx1a7LZX8YYN2nr-ANLkV9cxw0laI%3D"><b><i>Green Source DFW Newsletter</i></b></a><i>! Follow us on </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreensourceDFW"><b><i>Facebook</i></b></a><i> and </i><a href="https://twitter.com/greensourcedfw"><b><i>Twitter</i></b></a><i>.</i></p>
<p> </p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-main-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel=""><a href="/main-categories/advocacy" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Advocacy</a></div></div></div><span property="dc:title" content="South Dallas Superfund site awaits EPA action" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Tue, 15 Jan 2019 21:03:32 +0000Julie Ryan10729 at https://www.greensourcedfw.orghttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/south-dallas-superfund-site-awaits-epa-action#commentsLouisiana's 'Green Army' commander to speak in Dallashttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/louisianas-green-army-commander-speak-dallas
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/HonoreGreenArmyFlag_top.jpg?itok=XsgdNY-i"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/HonoreGreenArmyFlag_top.jpg?itok=XsgdNY-i" width="1000" height="750" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><em>Lt. General Russel L. Honoré, aka the Ragin' Cajun, will speak Feb. 15 in Dallas on environmental justice issues.​ Photos courtesy of General Honore.com.</em></p>
<p>Jan. 11, 2019</p>
<p>A retired general who’s turned his focus to combating environmental injustice is coming to Dallas Feb. 13-15. </p>
<p>As the commander of Joint Task Force Katrina, <a href="http://generalhonore.com" target="_blank">Lt. General Russel L. Honoré</a> became known as the “Category 5 General” for his leadership in coordinating military relief efforts in post-hurricane New Orleans. </p>
<p>A decorated 37-year army veteran and global authority on leadership and emergency preparedness, Louisiana native Gen. Honoré, aka the Ragin’ Cajun, is now mobilizing the <a href="http://generalhonore.com/go-green-army/" target="_blank">GreenARMY</a> in his home state. The mission of the alliance of civic, community and environmental groups and concerned citizens is to effect meaningful social, political and environmental change in Louisiana, according to the website.</p>
<p>Honoré became involved in environmental issues when residents from Bayou Corne, frustrated by the lack of action in the wake of a devastating sinkhole, requested assistance. General Honoré came to recognize the barrage of environmental issues facing Louisiana, from the levee board lawsuit to clean water, and he decided something needed to change.</p>
<p><img alt="Lt General Russel Honore" data-delta="1" data-fid="8078" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/GeneralHonoreheadshot_300.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" typeof="foaf:Image" />Today, Honoré’s task force <a href="http://generalhonore.com/go-green-army/" target="_blank">addresses such issues</a> as Louisiana coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion in the Baton Rouge aquifer and drilling in Lake Peigneur natural gas storage caverns to name a few.</p>
<p>“He’s quite a legend in the field,” said Ernest McMillan, founder of the newly formed Dallas-based Environmental Justice Network, which is hosting Honoré’s appearance. “He was very receptive about coming here.”</p>
<p>McMillan spearheaded the Honoré visit after learning about him from a family member who works for the EPA in Dallas.</p>
<p><img alt="Green Army Logo" data-delta="2" data-fid="8079" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/GreenArmyLogo_300.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" typeof="foaf:Image" />McMillan said during the visit, Honoré will attend several invitation-only meetings with local environmental and social justice leaders and representatives.</p>
<p>In addition, Honoré will tour three South Dallas neighborhoods battling environmental justice issues, including <a href="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/south-dallas-superfund-site-awaits-epa-action" target="_blank">Highland Hills</a>, home to a recently designated Superfund site; <a href="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/joppa-concrete-dallas-environmental-oversight" target="_blank">Joppa</a>, a community fighting air quality issues; and Sandbranch, a poor mostly African American neighborhood, which hasn’t had running water in 30 years. </p>
<p>On Friday, Feb. 15, <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fighting-racial-injustice-lt-gen-russell-honore-tickets-55166648932" target="_blank">Honoré will speak</a> at 7 p.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 5004 Bonnie View Road in Dallas. The event is free and open to the public. <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fighting-racial-injustice-lt-gen-russell-honore-tickets-55166648932" target="_blank">RSVPs requested.</a></p>
<p>“He is going to be sharing his successes, his troubles, the lessons he’s learned,” said McMillan. “We think he can spark activism here. People can learn from him. Also, the visit will provide exposure for what’s going on in Dallas as far as environmental justice issues are concerned.”</p>
<p> </p>
<h3>Lt. General Russel L. Honoré in Dallas</h3>
<p><strong>About:</strong> Louisiana native Lt. General Russel L. Honoré is visting Dallas to share his experience confronting environmental justice issues.</p>
<p><strong>Hosted by: </strong>Environmental Justice Network of Dallas, an informal coalition of environmental and social justice groups, formed last fall.</p>
<p><strong>When:</strong> Several invitation-only events will be held Feb. 13-15. Honoré will be speaking publicly at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 5004 Bonnie View Road in Dallas on Friday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. </p>
<p><strong>Cost:</strong> Free</p>
<p><strong>Info:</strong> Ernest McMillan, 832-368-9023, <a href="mailto:emack2@sbcglobal.net">emack2@sbcglobal.net</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fighting-racial-injustice-lt-gen-russell-honore-tickets-55166648932" target="_blank">RSVP</a></p>
<p><em>Green Source DFW and the Memnosyne Intitute are media sponsors of the event.</em></p>
<hr /><p><i>Stay up to date on everything green in North Texas, including the latest news and events! Sign up for the weekly </i><a href="http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001oXV2QgKAMdrwsgCDhvGA2ZN-wf--n7TrrbAiV8giMZJvGB7Y9EOJHYrkeb0loIJ64qmRiSCoI8LWbFEx1a7LZX8YYN2nr-ANLkV9cxw0laI%3D"><b><i>Green Source DFW Newsletter</i></b></a><i>! Follow us on </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreensourceDFW"><b><i>Facebook</i></b></a><i> and </i><a href="https://twitter.com/greensourcedfw"><b><i>Twitter</i></b></a><i>.</i></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-main-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel=""><a href="/main-categories/advocacy" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Advocacy</a></div></div></div><span property="dc:title" content="Louisiana&#039;s &#039;Green Army&#039; commander to speak in Dallas" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Fri, 11 Jan 2019 22:07:43 +0000Julie Thibodeaux10728 at https://www.greensourcedfw.orghttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/louisianas-green-army-commander-speak-dallas#commentsPaint Rock serves as earthy backdrop for Winter Solsticehttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/paint-rock-serves-earthy-backdrop-winter-solstice
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/PaintRock_daggerpeople_600.jpg?itok=ur03gi12"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/PaintRock_daggerpeople_600.jpg?itok=ur03gi12" width="1000" height="750" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><em>A sun dagger crosses an ancient turtle shield pictograph on Winter Solstice in Concho County. Photo by Steve Schiwetz.</em></p>
<p>Jan. 9, 2019</p>
<p>The two buffalo stand like statues along the ranch road to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThePaintedRocks/" target="_blank">Paint Rock pictographs</a>. We idle next to the two huge pasture pets, so still we can hear their deep rumbly breathing — a good omen for Winter Solstice. </p>
<p><img alt="Kay Campbell" data-delta="1" data-fid="8067" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/PaintRock_KayCampbell_300..jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p>
<p>Inside the small house turned visitor center, ranch matriarch Kay Campbell holds court, bright as ever at 93, though now cradling a walking cane. Young assistants hover attentively. </p>
<p><em>Kay Campbell presides over the Winter Solstice celebration at the Paint Rock pictographs. Photo by Amy Martin.</em></p>
<p>My traveling companion Martha Heimberg and I meander down a ranch road to a broad, rocky swath fronting the Concho River. To our right rises a wall of sandstone about a half-mile long. </p>
<p>Over eons, the wall fractured into blocks that shifted askew. Eroded at the base by periodic floods, a protective overhang formed. The passing noonday sun overhead creates fantastic patterns from the cracks and angles of the rock. </p>
<p><img alt="Paint Rock buffalo" data-delta="1" data-fid="8061" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/PaintRock_buffalo2_600.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" typeof="foaf:Image" /><em>Two bison at Paint Rock ranch. Photo by Amy Martin.</em></p>
<p><strong>WALLS THAT TALK</strong></p>
<p>“Look, Martha, over there, the second stack of rocks down. In red ochre.” </p>
<p>The first pictographs over a thousand years old emerge into view. Slashes of ruddy paint create circles, squiggles and flying birds. Nearby is a sun symbol and hump that represents a buffalo. </p>
<p><img alt="Paint Rock painted rocks" data-delta="1" data-fid="8063" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/PaintRock_paintedrocks_300.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" typeof="foaf:Image" /><em>Sun and star pictographs. Photo by Steve Schiwetz.</em></p>
<p>Tucked amid the sandstone blocks are a myriad of sun and star symbols, some perhaps representing the moon, along with stick figures of singles, couples, groups, many with arms held up seemingly in celebration. </p>
<p>There is drama — scenes of hunting and violent encounters with settlers — and action — a yard-long headless bird flies, insects buzz, a large boat floats. Fantastical creatures and a giant bear paw. A plethora of geometric symbols that evoke weather and time. </p>
<p>Scattered among them: black-paint graffiti from colonial and Civil War adventurers, even vandals from the early 20th century. People have been camping on this Concho River bench for a very long time. </p>
<p><img alt="Steve Schiwetz" data-delta="2" data-fid="8064" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/PaintRock_photog_300.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" typeof="foaf:Image" /><strong>PICTOGRAPHY PARTY</strong></p>
<p>About 50 people gather across from the wall. For a couple hours prior, shadows and light played first across a creature in a four-horned (possibly buffalo) headdress, as if to initiate what follows. A line of light shot across a vertical squiggle and circle, then hit an insect, corn plants and sun symbol as it angled upward. </p>
<p><em>Photographer Steve Schiwetz sets up for the big moment. Photo by Amy Martin.</em></p>
<p>Martha and I find a place in the crowd, setting up chairs next to Michael Anderson, a piano technician from Weatherford. A regular at this event, he explains that a coyote-shaped shadow is slowly edging closer to a roadrunner shadow. Once they touch, the central winter solstice light phenomenon begins: a beam of light piercing the center of a shield pictograph featuring a turtle. </p>
<p>Squint as I may, I can’t make the shadows out. Michael tries to show me again. I mention that Winter Solstice means a lot to me, that I created popular gatherings on the shortest day for 20 years. </p>
<p>“Oh, you're the Moonlady.” </p>
<p>Dang, the world is small. </p>
<p><img alt="" data-delta="1" data-fid="8068" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/PaintRock_couple_AM_300.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" typeof="foaf:Image" /><em>Crystal Crosby and Bruce Arnold got married on the Winter Solstice at the Paint Rock ranch. Photo by Martha Heimberg.​</em></p>
<p>Behind us, Crystal Crosby sets up a small card table and festoons it with beautiful textiles and food, in preparation for her marriage to Bruce Arnold of nearby Ballinger. They re-connected at their Wisconsin high-school reunion. Soon the Justice of the Peace for Runnels County, David Sellers, will arrive. </p>
<p>“Right up my alley, this solstice stuff,” says Crosby. “I call myself a Christian, but I’ve always loved the whole celestial thing.” </p>
<p>The soon-to-be-betrothed radiate hope and bliss. She shines in a royal-blue velvet dress and turquoise jewelry given to her while living on a Navaho reservation. He is spiffy in his bolo tie and can’t stop smiling. </p>
<p><strong>HISTORY HOUND</strong> </p>
<p><img alt="Bill Campbell" data-delta="2" data-fid="8069" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/PaintRock_BillCampbellandguy_300.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" typeof="foaf:Image" />Now after 11:30 am, numbers swell to more than 100. Groups gather in a line of folding chairs in front of the wall, from as far as the Gulf Coast and North Texas. Many locals are among them, proud of their Paint Rock heritage. </p>
<p><em>Bill Campbell and anthropologist Kim Cox served as guides. Photo by Amy Martin.</em></p>
<p>A group stands in rapt attention as a man in his 60s talks. I hit the jackpot: it’s Kim A. Cox, essential anthropological contributor to <a href="https://utpress.utexas.edu/books/boyd-white-shaman-mural" target="_blank"><em>The White Shaman Mural: An Enduring Creation Narrative in the Rock Art of the Lower Pecos. </em></a>He is waxing about the relationship of these pictographs to those in the Pecos River style some 200 miles to the south. </p>
<p>I follow Kim and his pal Paul Swacina around like a knowledge-seeking puppy. The anthropologists are on a mad chase to detect additional winter solstice phenomenon, focusing on how shadows, rather than light, move across the pictographs. </p>
<p>The rocky slope upon which the pictograph wall sits is steep and strewn with ferocious prickly pear cactus. The anthropologists scramble up and perch precariously as they seek phenomenon not visible from a distance. Crowd members make wagers on who’ll stumble and roll through the cactus first. Thankfully, bets go unfulfilled. </p>
<p>Joining the scrambling scientists is Bill Campbell, son of Kay, who shares ranch responsibility now that his father, Fred Campbell, has passed. Kay and her family have been stewards of the pictographs since her grandfather began purchasing the land in 1878, drawn down from the Midwest by tales of ancient Indian art. </p>
<p><strong>SUN DAGGER AND TURTLE SHIELD</strong></p>
<p><img alt="Painted Rock turtle shell and sun dagger" data-delta="3" data-fid="8070" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/PaintRock_dagger4_SteveSchiwetz_600.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" typeof="foaf:Image" /><em>The sun dagger enters the center of the turtle shield pictograph at the height of the viewing. Photo by Steve Schiwetz.</em></p>
<p>Excited whispers arise: “She’s here!” Kay’s trademark Taurus eases down the ranch road, driven by the sweetly attentive Callan Clark, president of the <a href="http://cvassanangelo.org/" target="_blank">Concho Valley Archaeological Society</a>, who rarely strays more than a few from her side. Bill scrambles down the slope to greet her. </p>
<p>On the rock wall, a bright dot of light shines on the lower left edge of the turtle shield. Over the next 30 minutes, it will swell into a dagger-like wedge and move diagonally upward until the tip is at the center of the pictograph. </p>
<p>Kim and Paul depart the slope, allowing attendees unhindered views. Their friend Steve Schiwetz has been tracking the Sun dagger progression for the past hour, clicking a photo with his powerfully lensed camera every minute or so. </p>
<p>A slight pall of reverence settles upon the excited sociable crowd. The precision of the sun dagger aiming for the center of the turtle is awesome. Time seems to stop as the dagger point finds its mark. It continues to broaden as the edges lose their crispness and begins to shift off center. </p>
<p><strong>SECRETS OF THE SUN</strong></p>
<p><img alt="Paint Rock pictographs" data-delta="1" data-fid="8072" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/PaintRock_rockladies_300.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" typeof="foaf:Image" />With alarming rapidity, most in the crowd gather their chairs and depart. For them, the show is over. The newly betrothed pack up as well, offering the last of their ceremonial food to hungry attendees. (It was fabulous!) </p>
<p><em>A shadow falls on the heads of dancing women pictographs. Photo by Amy Martin.</em></p>
<p>Bill Campbell and volunteer head out to cut brush that continually encroaches on the pictographs and surroundings. The anthropologists take off to wall’s west end, seeking out further phenomenon. I puppy-follow, of course. </p>
<p>A shadow moves across a line of dancing women pictographs, slicing them off at the head. “Early misogynists?” one of them cracks. But they know that’s not it. The divine feminine sacrificing part of themselves so that their fertility enables the world to continue is a motif that threads through indigenous lore of the Southwest from the unnamed ancients to current Pueblo and Navaho tribes. </p>
<p><img alt="Amy Martin" data-delta="1" data-fid="8071" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/PaintRock_AmyMartin2_300.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" typeof="foaf:Image" /><em>GSDFW reporter Amy Martin points to the sun dagger behind her on the rock. Courtesy of Amy Martin.</em></p>
<p>More tantalizing light and shadow phenomenon emerge and disappear. The anthropologists mention that on equinoxes a moving shadow beneath the figure of a man makes him seem to walk uphill. Plans are made to return. </p>
<p>What must the ancient gatherings been? Were there ceremony and music, priests and processions, mad astro-scientists scrambling on slopes helping artists find the perfect place for pictographs? Do the slashes of red ochre paint tell a story known only to the long dead? </p>
<p>To stand where thousands have for millennia, on a Winter Solstice day when people worldwide gather for ritual and community, to experience primal art and its timeless tales. The land never forgets. And neither will I.</p>
<h3>Painted Rock Tours</h3>
<p><strong>About:</strong> Guided tours of The Painted Rocks, a Native American historical site.</p>
<p><strong>Where:</strong> Paint Rock, Texas</p>
<p><strong>Cost:</strong> Donation</p>
<p><strong>Contact:</strong> 325-732-4376</p>
<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThePaintedRocks/" target="_blank">Website</a></p>
<hr /><p><i>Stay up to date on everything green in North Texas, including the latest news and events! Sign up for the weekly </i><a href="http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001oXV2QgKAMdrwsgCDhvGA2ZN-wf--n7TrrbAiV8giMZJvGB7Y9EOJHYrkeb0loIJ64qmRiSCoI8LWbFEx1a7LZX8YYN2nr-ANLkV9cxw0laI%3D"><b><i>Green Source DFW Newsletter</i></b></a><i>! Follow us on </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreensourceDFW"><b><i>Facebook</i></b></a><i> and </i><a href="https://twitter.com/greensourcedfw"><b><i>Twitter</i></b></a><i>.</i></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-main-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel=""><a href="/main-categories/north-texas-wild" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">North Texas Wild</a></div></div></div><span property="dc:title" content="Paint Rock serves as earthy backdrop for Winter Solstice" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 09 Jan 2019 23:10:38 +0000Amy Martin10711 at https://www.greensourcedfw.orghttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/paint-rock-serves-earthy-backdrop-winter-solstice#commentsUTA names first Chief Sustainability Officerhttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/uta-names-first-chief-sustainability-officer
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/MeghnaTare_bike_top.jpg?itok=NN0yFW1T"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/MeghnaTare_bike_top.jpg?itok=NN0yFW1T" width="1000" height="750" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><em>Meghna Tare was recently promoted to Chief Sustainability Officer at UTA. Photo courtesy of Meghna Tare.</em></p>
<p>Jan. 9, 2019</p>
<p>Meghna Tare is starting the new year at the <a href="https://www.uta.edu/uta/" target="_blank">University of Texas at Arlington</a> in a ground-breaking new role. Tare was named UTA's first Chief Sustainability Officer in November. </p>
<p>Tare, 42, joined UTA’s staff in 2010 as director of sustainability, after serving as environmental manager with the city of Dallas’ <a href="https://dallascityhall.com/departments/OEQ/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Office of Environmental Quality</a>. There, she worked on environmental projects like climate change, air quality, green buildings, energy efficiency and outreach, community gardens and environmental management systems. Prior to that, she taught environmental studies classes at <a href="http://www.csueastbay.edu" target="_blank">California State University at Hayward</a>, all of which prepared her well to take on her new role at UTA. In addition, her MBA from <a href="https://www.presidio.edu" target="_blank">Presidio Graduate School</a>, a master’s in environmental studies from <a href="http://www.sjsu.edu" target="_blank">San Jose State University</a> and a master’s in chemistry from the <a href="https://www.usfca.edu" target="_blank">University of San Francisco</a> are also key. </p>
<p>As UTA’s first Chief Sustainability Officer, Tare will develop programs on recycling and waste reduction, water conservation, education and outreach, transportation, green purchasing, curriculum development, community garden, composting and green teams. Also, she will be responsible for establishing a regional center to increase collaboration among groups in North Texas, a first for the region. Another first is bringing higher education, governmental units and municipalities, and private corporations together to collaborate on sustainable initiatives. </p>
<p>Tare said that the main difference between her former role as UTA’s executive director of the <a href="http://sustainability.uta.edu" target="_blank">Institute for Sustainability and Global Impact</a> and her new role as CSO will be her focus on creating partnerships with the community. </p>
<p><img alt="Meghna Tare" data-delta="1" data-fid="8076" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/MeghnaTare_TedTalk_600.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" typeof="foaf:Image" /><em>Meghna Tare gave a Ted Talk at UTA titled <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kBTRg3wPIw" target="_blank">"Why Should We Care About Our Planet?"</a> on Earth Day in 2013.</em></p>
<p>“We want to increase UTA’s collaboration with other organizations and drive UTA’s mission to go green.” </p>
<p>In her former UTA roles, she established several environmentally responsible initiatives, including establishing a bike-sharing program, a community garden and a campus composting program. Last year, she won the prestigious Excellence in Sustainability Award from the <a href="https://www.nacubo.org" target="_blank">National Association of College and University Business Officers</a>, which recognizes various areas of institutional success. UTA earned the coveted award out of three universities. </p>
<p>Additionally, she spearheaded several sustainability projects related to policy implementation, buildings and development, green procurement, transportation, employee engagement, waste management, GRI reporting and carbon management. A TEDx UTA speaker, she was also featured on <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com" target="_blank">TriplePundit</a>’s Women in Corporate Social Responsibility list. </p>
<p>Tare was also responsible for organizing a meeting of sustainability stakeholders in March to create a <a href="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/dfw-sustainability-regional-center" target="_blank">Regional Center of Expertise</a>. </p>
<p>“We have submitted the application and are waiting to hear for the approval, which will happen in a few weeks,” she said.</p>
<p>Plans for 2019 are to establish an advisory council. </p>
<p>“We will always raise the bar and constantly strive to make steady improvements to our sustainability contributions. The responsibility of a CSO rides on implementing the vision, values and strategy in a way that communicates that we care. Blending those values with our unique goals and ambitions can be very motivating and effective. For me, leadership at UTA lives at the intersection of that spark and our values.”</p>
<hr /><p><i>Stay up to date on everything green in North Texas, including the latest news and events! Sign up for the weekly </i><a href="http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001oXV2QgKAMdrwsgCDhvGA2ZN-wf--n7TrrbAiV8giMZJvGB7Y9EOJHYrkeb0loIJ64qmRiSCoI8LWbFEx1a7LZX8YYN2nr-ANLkV9cxw0laI%3D"><b><i>Green Source DFW Newsletter</i></b></a><i>! Follow us on </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreensourceDFW"><b><i>Facebook</i></b></a><i> and </i><a href="https://twitter.com/greensourcedfw"><b><i>Twitter</i></b></a><i>.</i></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-main-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel=""><a href="/main-categories/education-events" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Education &amp; Events</a></div></div></div><span property="dc:title" content="UTA names first Chief Sustainability Officer" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 09 Jan 2019 20:43:43 +0000Minnie Payne10713 at https://www.greensourcedfw.orghttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/uta-names-first-chief-sustainability-officer#commentsGreen Tip Guy: Lower your energy bill with heat saunahttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/green-tip-guy-lower-your-energy-bill-heat-sauna
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/GTG_warmgloves_top.jpg?itok=hiiZqnmX"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/GTG_warmgloves_top.jpg?itok=hiiZqnmX" width="1000" height="750" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Jason demonstrates a product that will help you stay warm while saving on your energy bill.</p>
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<h2 class="element-invisible"><a href="/files/save-huge-your-heating-bill">Save Huge on your Heating Bill</a></h2>
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<hr /><p><i>Stay up to date on everything green in North Texas, including the latest news and events! Sign up for the weekly </i><a href="http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001oXV2QgKAMdrwsgCDhvGA2ZN-wf--n7TrrbAiV8giMZJvGB7Y9EOJHYrkeb0loIJ64qmRiSCoI8LWbFEx1a7LZX8YYN2nr-ANLkV9cxw0laI%3D"><b><i>Green Source DFW Newsletter</i></b></a><i>! Follow us on </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreensourceDFW"><b><i>Facebook</i></b></a><i> and </i><a href="https://twitter.com/greensourcedfw"><b><i>Twitter</i></b></a><i>.</i></p>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-main-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel=""><a href="/main-categories/green-tip-guy" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Green Tip Guy</a></div></div></div><span property="dc:title" content="Green Tip Guy: Lower your energy bill with heat sauna" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 09 Jan 2019 20:11:49 +0000GreenTipGuy10712 at https://www.greensourcedfw.orghttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/green-tip-guy-lower-your-energy-bill-heat-sauna#commentsGardening class aimed at North Texas newbieshttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/newcomers-gardening-class-aimed-north-texas-newbies
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Newcomers_class_crop_600.jpg?itok=tsqOaE3_"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Newcomers_class_crop_600.jpg?itok=tsqOaE3_" width="1000" height="750" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><em>The Newcomers Guide to Gardening in North Texas will be held Jan. 12 at Collin College Conference Center in McKinney. Photos courtesy of City of McKinney.</em></p>
<p>Jan. 4, 2019</p>
<p>If you think you need a horticultural degree to go up against North Texas fire ants, heat waves and hard clay soil just to grow a garden, you’ll want to mark your calendar for an upcoming event.</p>
<p>Hosted by the City of McKinney in partnership with eight other cities and five agencies, <a href="http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07efsl7o1s29917bde&amp;llr=pktzh9cab" target="_blank">The Newcomer’s Guide to Gardening in North Texas</a> will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 12 at the <a href="http://www.collin.edu/aboutus/conference/index.html" target="_blank">Collin College Conference Center</a>, 2400 Community Avenue in McKinney.</p>
<p>“The Newcomer’s Guide to Gardening in North Texas event was designed with the transplant or gardening newbie in mind,” says Martha Cavazos-Fipps, McKinney’s environmental education and community outreach coordinator. “The soil, climate and plant species are all very different in North Texas. If you moved here from a mild climate and a place with rich soil, you are in for a shock. We also have pests like rabbits and fire ants that many people are not accustomed to dealing with.”</p>
<p><img alt="Newcomers Guide to Gardening" data-delta="1" data-fid="8053" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/Newcomers_sign_300.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" typeof="foaf:Image" />In a series of six presentations aimed at anyone who’s new to the area or just new to gardening, horticultural professionals will share science-based advice mixed with their own gardening wisdom on topics that include how to grow delicious and nutritious food in your own backyard, water conservation, earth-friendly pest control and even how to install host plants and nectar sources to take care of our imperiled pollinators.</p>
<p>Slated to speak at the event are Dr. Greg Church, former Texas A&amp;M AgriLife county extension agent for horticulture in Collin County; Patrick Dickinson, horticulturist and program coordinator at Texas A&amp;M AgriLife Water University; Daniel Cunningham, horticulturist at Texas A&amp;M AgriLife Water University; Nancy Payne, Master Gardener and certified Texas Certified Nursery Professional; Bryan Moore, Collin County Master Gardener and compost operations supervisor at Texas Pure Products; and Gail Donaldson, horticulturist and water conservation manager with the City of Allen.</p>
<p>Topic titles include Why EarthKind is Important, The Dirt on North Texas Soil, Butterfly Gardening, How to Water Wisely, Vegetable and Herb Gardening, and the Top 100 Plants for North Texas. Participants may stay for the all the presentations or show up for just the ones they’re interested in.</p>
<p>Based on feedback from previous gardening events, Cavazos-Fipps says, “We are expanding each topic to cover a bit more. For example, Daniel is going to cover sheet mulching, Patrick is going to elaborate a bit more on turf grasses and lawns and we will have longer for questions and answers at the end of each presentation. We are also adding a few more garden related exhibitors.”</p>
<p>This is the third time the city has hosted the event that has attracted close to a thousand participants from throughout the region as well as locals who just want to brush up on their skills. </p>
<p><img alt="Newcomers Guide to Gardening" data-delta="2" data-fid="8054" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.greensourcedfw.org/sites/default/files/Newcomers_booths_top.jpg" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" typeof="foaf:Image" />“Our March 2018 event had record registrations of nearly 700 people from more than 30 D.F.W. cities and people originating from 49 states and 12 countries,” Cavazos-Fipps says. “Attendance is about fifty-fifty. Fifty percent are new to the area and fifty-percent have been here for an extended period of time or are natives that are new to gardening.”</p>
<p>Cavazos-Fipps says the effectiveness of the advice given during the event can be seen in the messages she receives from former participants who want to tout their newfound success. She’s also seen an uptick in attendance at other horticultural events in the area as those initiated into the art of North Texas gardening seek to take their skills even further.</p>
<p>“We have a number of attendees who have shared pictures of their garden projects since our last two events. Many attendees have sent progress pictures over the months to showcase how their projects are coming along. We have one resident in particular who attended seven follow up events and now has the most beautiful yard in his neighborhood,” she says. “Attendees continue coming back to other related events like the Collin County Master Gardener Garden Show, the CCMGA plant sales and expanded green seminars.”</p>
<p>The event is intended to ease some of the frustrations that relocating to a new region can present. As transplanted homeowners unpack and settle in, they eventually take on the chores of maintaining their yard and maybe even planting trees and installing a garden</p>
<p>“There is nothing more frustrating than planting a tree or shrub and having it perish,” Cavazos-Fipps says. “Gardening in North Texas is challenging. Our North Texas soil is different, our climate is erratic and our rainfall is unpredictable. Our expert speakers will share their horticultural expertise and research based information and to help everyone overcome the challenges of gardening here. Honestly, there is no such thing as a black thumb. Everyone can garden; you just have to know the challenges and growing conditions up front and start small with the right plants in the right location.”</p>
<p>Admission to the event is free, but participants must register in advance as seating is limited.</p>
<h3>Newcomer's Guide to Gardening</h3>
<p><strong>Hosted by: </strong>City of McKinney Environmental Education – Keep McKinney Beautiful in cooperation with the cities of Allen, Plano, Richardson, Frisco, Rowlett, Princeton, Prosper, Melissa, Texas Pure Products, the Collin County Master Gardener Association, Texas A&amp;M Agrilife Extension Collin County, Texas A&amp;M Agrilife Water University and the North Texas Municipal Water District. </p>
<p><strong>Info:</strong> 972-547-7335 or <a href="mailto:green@mckinneytexas.org">green@mckinneytexas.org</a>. </p>
<p><strong>When:</strong> Jan. 12, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.</p>
<p><strong>Where:</strong> Collin College Conference Center, 2400 Community Avenue in McKinney</p>
<p><strong>Cost:</strong> Free</p>
<p><a href="http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07efsl7o1s29917bde&amp;llr=pktzh9cab" target="_blank">Website</a></p>
<hr /><p><i>Stay up to date on everything green in North Texas, including the latest news and events! Sign up for the weekly </i><a href="http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001oXV2QgKAMdrwsgCDhvGA2ZN-wf--n7TrrbAiV8giMZJvGB7Y9EOJHYrkeb0loIJ64qmRiSCoI8LWbFEx1a7LZX8YYN2nr-ANLkV9cxw0laI%3D"><b><i>Green Source DFW Newsletter</i></b></a><i>! Follow us on </i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreensourceDFW"><b><i>Facebook</i></b></a><i> and </i><a href="https://twitter.com/greensourcedfw"><b><i>Twitter</i></b></a><i>.</i></p>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-article-main-category field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel=""><a href="/main-categories/green-living" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Green Living</a></div></div></div><span property="dc:title" content="Gardening class aimed at North Texas newbies" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Fri, 04 Jan 2019 21:31:47 +0000Marshall Hinsley10709 at https://www.greensourcedfw.orghttps://www.greensourcedfw.org/articles/newcomers-gardening-class-aimed-north-texas-newbies#comments